M25M CONTINUES RESPONSE TO HURRICANES BATTERING THE CARIBBEAN AND SOUTHEAST U.S.

Containers of Aid on the Way to Partners in Texas, Florida and the Caribbean

SEPTEMBER 20, 2017 Cincinnati, OH– Matthew 25: Ministries, an international humanitarian aid and disaster relief organization in Cincinnati, OH is expanding their disaster response to include the areas impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

On Monday, Hurricane Maria swept over the small island of Dominica as a Category 5 storm, with winds of up to 160 MPH. Overnight on Tuesday, Hurricane Maria battered St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands and then made landfall on Wednesday in the southeastern part of Puerto Rico as a powerful Category 4 storm, with winds up to 155 MPH. Life-threatening winds could continue to hammer the island for 12 to 24 hours as a result of the storm.

The entire island of Puerto Rico was left without power as a result of the storm. Puerto Rico was already heavily damaged by Hurricane Irma two weeks ago. Prior to Hurricane Maria, the last Category 4 hurricane to make landfall in Puerto Rico was in 1932.

Matthew 25 is working with partners in Texas, Florida and the Caribbean. Matthew 25 has sent 30 truckloads of hurricane relief to partners in Texas and has already shipped 4 truckloads of hurricane relief to Florida. Matthew 25 is shipping their first 4 containers of hurricane relief to the Caribbean on Thursday 9/21. Matthew 25 is also planning on sending a medical mission team to Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands as soon as possible and is exploring long-term recovery and rebuilding projects in the Leeward Islands. More shipments are scheduled for all areas.

Matthew 25’s Disaster Response Team is transitioning from Texas to Florida and will begin distributing supplies and working with partners within the next few days. Joined by the Tide Loads of Hope mobile laundry unit, Matthew 25’s Disaster Response Team is distributing relief supplies including P&G personal care kits, household and cleaning products, Cintas first aid and safety kits and supplies, and additional items such as Pampers diapers, Charmin toilet paper, Tide Pods, and tarps. Matthew 25’s Disaster Response Coordinator is constantly evaluating areas affected by the disasters and looking for the best locations based on accessibility for the team to be able to assist the maximum number of people and to set up and maneuver their specialized response units.

ABOUT MATTHEW 25: MINISTRIES: Matthew 25: Ministries rescues and reuses approximately 15,000,000 pounds of corporate discontinues, misprints, overruns, off-spec, slightly damaged, returned and past season products each year and redistributes them to people in desperate need throughout the US and worldwide. Each year, Matthew 25: Ministries impacts the lives of more than 20,000,000 individuals throughout the United States and around the world. More than 99% of Matthew 25: Ministries’ cash and in-kind donations go toward programs. Matthew 25 has been highly ranked on Forbes’ list of the Most Efficient Large Charities in the US. Matthew 25 is also highly ranked of approximately 2,500 four star charities on Charity Navigator. Matthew 25: Ministries is accredited by the Better Business Bureau through the “Wise Giving Alliance Standards”. For more information, or to schedule an interview, contact Joodi Archer at Matthew 25: Ministries (513) 793-6256 or visit www.m25m.org.